Cliffs, Lemons and a Coast Built by Hand
The Amalfi Coast, or Costiera Amalfitana, is a stretch of the Campania coastline in southern Italy, on the southern side of the Sorrento Peninsula, known for steep cliffs, terraced lemon groves and colourful villages stacked above the sea. It was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997 as an outstanding cultural landscape, shaped by centuries of terracing and building. The coast road, cut into the rock, links a string of towns with views at every bend.
Amalfi itself was once a powerful maritime republic, and its cathedral, the Duomo di Sant'Andrea, with its striped facade and sweeping staircase, rises above the main square. The town's paper-making heritage lives on in a small museum, and the lemons of the coast, the sfusato amalfitano, flavour everything from pastry to liqueurs. Nearby Positano is the best-known resort, while the wider region of Campania offers Pompeii and Capri as natural companions.
Ravello, the Path of the Gods and the Sea
High above the sea, Ravello is known for the gardens of Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone, whose terrace of infinity gives one of Italy's most admired views. The Ravello Festival has long brought classical music to a garden stage over the water. For walkers, the Sentiero degli Dei, the Path of the Gods, follows the ridge from Agerola to Nocelle above Positano, with glimpses of Capri beyond the cliffs.
The sea is part of every stay. Ferries run along the coast from Salerno, Amalfi and Positano, and private boats offer lunch stops and coves such as the Emerald Grotto near Conca dei Marini. Seafood is the table's highlight, with spaghetti alle vongole, anchovies from Cetara and delizia al limone dessert. For a hotel group, the coast's mix of small, family-run houses and landmark stays offers a story of rare intimacy, linked to Naples and Sicily on a southern itinerary.
Read the full Amalfi guide on Visit Travel Group, or see VisitAmalfi.co.uk on Visit Travel Group.